way that Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the monster fish, so
will the Son of Man spend three days and three nights in the depths of the earth
At the judgment, the people of Nineveh will rise with this generation and condemn
it, because they reformed their lives at the preaching of Jonah, and here there is greater
than Jonah. At the judgment, the Queen of the South will stand up and condemn you.
She came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and here
there is greater than Solomon..

Reflection:

Signs have confirmatory function. They may not be necessary for persons with
deep faith. Sometimes, they serve to assure people that God loves them. They confirm God’s
care and mercy to His own. Our gospel today speaks of religious authorities asking Jesus for a
sign. But Jesus rebukes them. They are supposed to be men of deep faith. They should be
the last to ask for a sign for their faith can sustain them. But their position of authority
made them cautious and fearful. Much would be taken from them if they make a bad
decision. Hence, they ask Jesus for assurances before they commit themselves to His cause.
Because of this, we are reminded that those in positions of power and authority are diminished by
the power that they have. They are afraid to commit because power might be taken from them
if they commit mistakes. Hence power is transitory and rests insecure in the hands of those
who wield it. That is why Jesus is angry. Instead of making them more sensitive to God’s presence,
power and authority robbed the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees the capacity to see that
the time of fulfillment is at hand with the presence of Jesus.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2021